Gastrointestinal infections are considered a major health problem for many people. The resulting diseases of these infections can be life threatening. Gastrointestinal infections are often caused by a wide range of microorganisms, for example Escherichia coli (E. coli), Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori), Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), and many other microorganisms. These microorganisms are responsible for many diseases, among which gastroenteritis, enteritis, gastritis, peptic ulcer, and duodenal ulcer.
Animal milk has been used in the preparation of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compositions. Milk of ruminants, and predominantly bovine milk, has been utilized most. Among drawbacks of cow milk is a wide-spread allergy to it, affecting in several of its forms as much as 50% individuals in some populations. It is an object of this invention to provide a composition comprising immunized milk which keeps all the benign properties of milk but is free of the drawbacks related to cow milk. Camel milk has been traditionally used by certain ethnic groups, and it was found that, in some respects, its composition is closer to the human milk than cow milk.
Passive immunity is provided to newborns by Immunoglobulins present in colostrum until its own immune system matures. The concentration in colostrum of specific antibodies against pathogens can be raised by immunizing a mammal with these pathogens or their antigens. Immunized milk products are preparations made of such hyper-immune colostrum or antibodies enriched from it. These preparations can be used to give effective specific protection against different diseases. Colostral immunoglobulin supplements designed for farm animals are commercially available in many countries. Also, some immunized milk products that contain specific antibodies against certain pathogens have been launched in the market. A number of clinical studies are currently in progress to evaluate the efficacy of immunized milks in the prevention and treatment of various human infections, including those caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. Immunized milk products are examples of health-promoting functional foods, or nutraceuticals.